The penny has finally dropped with England. No longer are people talking about learning curves or idly planning their next bungee jump. From Martin Johnson downwards there is universal acceptance this squad now have a stark choice at this World Cup. Either players cut out the silly errors which continue to hold the team back or the squad will fly home cursing what might have been.

A special team meeting was convened specifically to address this issue of personal responsibility. Among those who accept that attitudes have to change is the fly-half Toby Flood, one of the few to advance his cause in the below‑par performance in the 41-10 win over Georgia on Sunday. Flood, still wrestling with Jonny Wilkinson for the No10 jersey, believes England are "shooting ourselves in the foot" and urgently need to become "more savvy".

Until now it has been rare for such honest criticism to be expressed in public, but Flood is simply articulating the growing frustration within Johnson's squad. "There was a lot of frustration out on the pitch because we were doing things we'd probably never do in training or in a game of touch [rugby]. That's probably the hardest thing to deal with.

"As a squad we understood our game plan but we didn't go out and do it. It's one of those personal-ownership things. We all have to put our hands up and say: 'If I had a 24-hour video session and watched myself in the game, would I be happy with what I've done, and what I'd said?' For a lot of us the answer would be 'No'.

"We always want to improve and we always want to get better. But there's a time and a place for saying: 'We'll get better, we'll get better.' The most important thing is to be clear and concise about how we're going to do it. We have to be accountable as individuals. On a training day, are we getting through the reps we need to do? Are we doing things as a team that put us in the right position?"

The implication is that all concerned now recognise the need to up their game, both on and off the field. The lop-sided penalty count against Georgia was not a symptom of harsh refereeing but a worrying lack of discipline. As Flood points out, this has been a "recurring theme" and better sides will make England pay.

"We're probably not as smart or as savvy as we'd want to be at the moment. We're doing things that are just a bit naive. The breakdown was difficult and credit goes to Georgia for making it so. But chucking the ball away, making silly errors, compounding errors and forcing offloads makes it difficult to get a foothold in the game. We felt as if we held on to the ball we'd cause problems and do damage, but we just didn't."

It would have saved England a good deal of angst had they reached this point a little earlier. The chorus of dressing-room disapproval could also be a sign that some were more irritated by the conduct of certain players in Queenstown last week than has been publicly acknowledged. Flood, either way, clearly believes a brutally honest debrief was necessary. "I think it might even work in our favour and be quite a nice kick up the arse. It might be a case of: 'OK, now is the time for the squad to really pull together.' If we're realistic we need to improve in certain areas. There is massive room for improvement and that was said last night by countless people."

Brian Smith, England's attack coach, also acknowledges they have some "headaches" in terms of choosing the best XV, not least at fly-half. "Do we start to home in on our best XV or do we keep trying to rotate the squad? That's a decision we've got to make," said Smith, looking ahead to the game against Romania on Saturday. There is an argument that England should field their best possible XV as preparation for their final pool game against Scotland but, as yet, Johnson and his coaches are still mulling over their options.

Mark Cueto, yet to play in the tournament, is available if required and the management insist Chris Ashton, who hyper-extended his left elbow against Georgia, should make a relatively swift recovery. Smith, meanwhile, rejects the notion that England are a robotic attacking unit. "I think we are a balanced side, a team that can play off the cuff, and we've also got enough organisation and structure that we can build pressure on opposition teams. I think our shape is sound."